Man cleared of defilement after daughters declare him innocent

A man, who had been jailed for five years for defiling his two teenage daughters, has been cleared after an appeal court heard how the girls changed their version and said their father was innocent.

In light of this and, after evaluating the evidence, Mr Justice David Scicluna ruled there now existed a "lurking doubt" as to the man's innocence.

The man had been jailed for five years after the Magistrates' Court found him guilty of defiling his two daughters, aged 15 and 16, and holding them against their will five years ago.

Throughout the compilation of evidence, the youngest of the girls had testified that she had lied and that her father was innocent.

But, after taking note of all the circumstances of the case, the presiding magistrate found the man guilty.

When the man filed his appeal his other daughter declared that her father was innocent and that she had been forced to lie by a friend of hers who wanted them to leave home.

She claimed that now that she was 21 years old, and was no longer a teenager, the friend did not have control over her. Now that she was a married woman she felt safe to tell the truth.

The judge also heard that it was very unlikely that the man had contacted his daughters and pressured them to change their version.

The judge heard too how there always existed discrepancies in the girls' versions and, in light of these developments, he would not be morally convinced of the man's guilt.

For this reason he cleared him of all charges.